Florida Southern College Names Dr. Sharlene Smith The Anne MacGregor Jenkins Endowed Chair in Pediatric Nursing

LAKELAND, Fla., April 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Southern College is proud to announce that Dr. Sharlene Smith, Ph.D., DNP, APRN, CPNP-AC/PC, has been named the Anne MacGregor Jenkins Endowed Chair in Pediatric Nursing.

Dr. Sharlene Smith, Ph.D., DNP, APRN, CPNP-AC/PC is a dual-certified pediatric nurse practitioner with practice certifications in both acute and primary care and has taught in the academic setting since 2012. She began her career at Florida Southern College as adjunct faculty in the graduate nursing program in 2023. In 2024, she accepted a full-time faculty position in the School of Nursing and Health Sciences Graduate Nursing program as an Associate Professor and the Education Coordinator for the Carol Jenkins Barnett Center for Early Childhood Learning and Health. In this role, Dr. Smith has worked to further the mission of the CJB Center by continuing to expand on community outreach promoting child health and improved learning outcomes.

"I am truly honored and privileged to receive the Anne MacGregor Jenkins Endowed Chair in Pediatric Nursing," said Dr. Smith. "This endowment allows Florida Southern College, the Ann Blanton Edwards School of Nursing and Health Sciences, and the Carol Jenkins Barnett Center for Early Childhood Learning and Health to continue focusing efforts on improving the health and educational outcomes of children in the local community and beyond."

Dr. Smith has worked clinically in primary and urgent care settings and holds both research and practice doctoral degrees with a Ph.D. in nursing and a Doctor of Nursing Practice. Both doctoral degrees focused on her interest in improving healthy lifestyle behaviors and reducing parental stress in families with preschool and school-age children by using cognitive behavioral skill-building interventions. She incorporates technology into the interventions to deliver the skill-building intervention in real-time increasing on-the-spot learning.

Dr. Smith has taught in the academic setting since 2012 teaching in both undergraduate and graduate programs. She was the program director for a primary care pediatric nurse practitioner program for over six years at a state university system. She taught courses in pathophysiology, pharmacology, physical assessment, evidence-based practice, and pediatrics at the graduate level. She taught community health in the undergraduate program and led clinical experiences in St. Croix with undergraduate students.  She has chaired over twenty-five DNP projects, many of which focused on improving the health of children and families in the community. Dr. Smith was the recipient of a $33,000 grant to improve intercity children's health, working with the city of Tampa and the Tampa Police Department. She has served on numerous college and university-level committees including curriculum committees and faculty senate. She chaired several curriculum committees. Dr. Smith has been a member of Sigma Theta Tau since 2011 and a member of Phi Kappa Phi since 1991.

Dr. Smith has a passion for global and community health and engagement. She has participated in multiple global medical mission trips to Peru and Honduras and enjoys sharing these experiences with students. Dr. Smith is currently serving a three-year term on the Board of Trustees for DOCARE International. DOCARE provides primary medical care to underserved populations around the world, augmenting their opportunity to experience health despite an "ambush of circumstance." Dr. Smith is engaged in the community, actively participating in both local, national, and international organizations. Dr. Smith has served on the Children's Service Council of Lake County and is a former president of the Florida Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. She currently participates in a data analysis committee for Friends of Barnabas Foundation, an organization that focuses on improving the health and lives of children and families in Honduras. Dr. Smith recognizes that community starts at home and locally. She spent her childhood in Polk County and is excited to return home to help improve the lives of future generations of children where her foundation was built.

About Florida Southern College

Founded in 1883, Florida Southern College is the oldest private college in the state. The College maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 70+ undergraduate programs and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, nursing, and physical therapy. Florida Southern has a 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio, is an award-winning national leader in engaged learning, and boasts 30 NCAA Division II National Championships. In the U.S. News & World Report's 2025 "Best Colleges" guide, Florida Southern ranks #11 among "Best Regional Universities in the South," #9 in "Most Innovative Schools," and #20 in "Best Value Schools." The College is also highlighted in The Princeton Review's 2024 Best 389 Colleges guide and the "Fiske Guide to Colleges 2025." The 2024-2025 Colleges of Distinction guidebook praises Florida Southern's AACSB accredited Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise alongside the College's School of Education and its Ann Blanton Edwards School of Nursing and Health Sciences. Home to the world's largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, FSC has appeared on The Princeton Review's top 20 "Most Beautiful Campus" national listing for 13 consecutive years, now ranking #5. Connect with Florida Southern College.

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SOURCE Florida Southern College